Brussels plans two new tram routes

Proposals for two new tram routes that will link the centre of Brussels with the suburbs have been approved by the Brussels regional government. One of the new routes will link the Rogier underground tram stop with the Belgica metro station on the boundary of Sint-Jans-Molenbeek and Jette, while the second will link Neder-over-Heembeek in the north of the city with Rogier.

Fri 21 Dec 2018 15:49

The proposals came from the Brussels Transport Minister Pascal Smet (Flemish socialist) and were approved at a meeting of the Brussels regional government on Thursday. Firm plans for the construction of the new sections of tramway will be drawn up over the next two years. Mr Smet told the Brussels regional news site Bruzz that he expects the new tramways to be operational within 5 to 6 years.

The new tramway between Rogier and Belgica will pass by the Thurn & Taxis a site that has become the new home to a number of new offices and will welcome many new residents in the coming years with developments such as the Brussels Regional Development Agency’s Tivoli Green Village project.

There has long been talk of providing a tram link to Thurn & Taxis. However, the plans were shelved in 2014.

The second new tram route to Neder-over-Heembeek will link up to the route of the existing trams 3 and 7 at Van Praet. From Van Praet it will continue over the Vuurkruisenlaan and Oorlogkruislaan to Military Hospital.

Here too new housing developments and above all bpost’s new national parcel sorting centre necessitate better public transport links to and from Neder-over-Heembeek.